Collapsible tube



Feb. 13, 1934. M. M. l.. BURRELL coLLAPsIBLE TUBE Filed Feb. 1o, 1932 wol/wup compressing oney end of the tube.

F'jlo izo ` the tube. The bore Yof the `collar alines with the ,flan

, Patentedrea13,1934

LeraarsooLLArsmLE TUBE Y y vMatthew M. L. emu, Manheim, Pa.

' Application February 1o, 1932. serial No. 592.139

y z claims. This inventionrelates to containers of the co1- lapsible tube type in which semi-liquid commodi-` "ties are'placed upon the market and which arei utilized to ,expelv the contents, as needed, by The object-of lthepresent invention is to provide a simple and yinexpensivey discharge nozzle'` for a collapsible f Ytube which will automatically close `when pressure upon the tube is relieved so -that the outlet 'will be'sealed and waste of the commodity contained in the 'tubefwill be avoided. l Another oblject of the invention is to so construct the delivf ery end of `the tubefas to'facilitate lthe application of a cap thereto wherebythe delivery nozzle will ybe protected against opening while. the device is in storage or transportation. 'I'he invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw-V ing and consists in certain'novel'features which ywill'be hereinafterflrst fully described and then moreparticularlydened in the appended claims.

In the drawing, `Fig."1` is aside elevation of a collapsible tube embo'ing the invention, a protecting ycap being shown in section,

the. cap; removed, n ,y

f Fig. 3 is a view,`similar to Fig.'2, showing a Avar`riation.k r Y f The reference numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical tube 'of soft metal in which paste or a similar commodityy is stored in a well-known manner, the ytube being closed at one end, as indicated at 2 and aswill be understood. The delivery end'of the tubeis formed with a neck 3 having an any n nular groove upon its outer circumference andA '235 f being threaded at itsfextremity, as will be understood upon referen'ce'toFig. 2. Threaded onto "the extremity of the rieckj is a ferrule or collar 5 the periphery of which isknurled or milled or otherwise Vfashionedto provide' a firm grip for the fingers in placing'the collar upon theneck of V`boreof theneck, asishown clearly in Fig. 2, so .that ran uninterrupted'passage for the `escaping l side, as indicatedat '7.' vSecured in the collar 5,

' andextending therefrom between the side walls of the rspout 6, is a resilient plate or leaf spring 8 which, at its free extremity, is curved toward the bottom rof the spout 6, as shown at 9, so as to abut rsaid bottom andthere'by r seal the nozzle or spout K against :escape ofthe commodity-in the tube; K

^ having a neck,adelivery spout substantially U- The end of the spring is preferably flush with the '55 5 end of the lspoutsok that'lthere is noprojecting y 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with material is provided and extending from theoutker side of the collar'is a spoutor nozzle 6, which isl f formedofsome stiff material` andV is open at onev (01. azi-sol surface to catch and collect dirt at the end of the spring.

When the device is shipped and until it is to be used by the ultimate consumer, a cap 10, which may be of thin rubber, is providedover the noze0 zle, as shown in Fig. 1, and closely surrounds the same.. This cap is of elongated formation so that it conforms to the shape and dimensions of the delivery spout and at its open end is formed with a bead 11 which reinforces the cap and also 05 is adapted to flt snugly within the groove 4 so that the cap will bermly held toand by the neck of the tube and entirely enclose the spout. When the tube is to be used for a delivery of a portion of its contents, the cap is removed and -7o may be cast aside if the frequent use of the tube is anticipated, but, if the tube is to be used only at rare intervals, the cap may be returned to its position after each use of the tube.

The manner of using the tube will be .very 1 5 readily comprehended. The cap is to kbe removed and the tube is held in such positionthat material escaping therefrom will be deposited upon the article to which it is to be applied or by which it is to be employed and the closed end of fthe tube is then compressed so that the pressure applied thereto will be exerted upon the contained commodity and a portion of the same will be expelled through the delivery spout. As the material flows through the spout, it will overcome the force exerted by the sealing spring 81so that the spring will be unseated and the material may then escape through the end of the spout, past the end of the spring. When the expelling pressure upon the tube is relieved,the spring will immediately reseat itself under the influence of its own resiliency and will thereby seal the tube so that the material therein will not be wasted and will be protected against the drying infiuence of the surrounding air. The device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive and is highly efficient for the purpose for which itis designed.,

In Fig. 3 is shownA a construction in which the spout 20 and the end of the spring 21 are, embedded in the neck 22 of the container tube 23, or may be integral therewith. The neck is shorter thanv in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and has a wider bore, an annular groove 24 being formed externally in the neck immediately back of the end of the neck to receive and hold the elastic band of the cap.

Having thus described the invention. I claim: ,1. A container comprising a collapsible tube shaped in cross section extending from the neck 11.10

in alinement therewith, and a resilient sealing spring forming a closure for the open side of the spout and having one end thereof xed relative to the spout and its other end curved inwardly and the outer edge thereof normally bearing against the back Wall of the spout at the outer end thereof whereby the spout will be normally sealed.

2. A` container consisting of a" collapsible tube provided with a neck at its deliveryend'.; said neck having an annular groove in its` outer eircumference,V a delivery spout substantially U- Vals shaped in cross section extending from the neck,

-a sealing spring forming a. closure for the open M. L. BURRELL. [L.S.] 

